Real Madrid ace Eden Hazard admits Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia convinced him to stay one final season at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard won the Europa League with Chelsea last season before being sold to Real Madrid for a fee rising to €150m.

He told Sport / Foot Magazine: "Every year there was talk of my arrival in Madrid. I have never had contact, not even my surroundings, with the club. The contacts began two, three years ago, when I got injured with the national team.

"After the 2018 World Cup I wanted to come. Chelsea said no. It was necessary to spend a year with (Maurizio) Sarri.

"Nor did he want to leave Chelsea badly. I have always been clean with all my clubs. As I did in Lille. My last year at Lille (2011-2012) I didn't want to do it. My surroundings made me understand that it was necessary to stay a season. The same thing happened at Chelsea.

"In the summer of 2018 I received a call from Marina Granovskaia. She told me: 'Don't go, Sarri comes to train you.' I tried to do my best."